Aerial vessel



(No Model.) I 2 Sheets--Sheet-1. M. S. COLE.

AERIAL VESSEL.

No. 352,298.. Patented Nov. 9, 1886.

WITNESSES: v INVENTOR: 4 M 7%66 BY Vail/hm ATTORNEYS.

(No Model.) -2 Sheets- Sheet 2. M. S. COLE.

AERIAL VESSEL.

No 352,298. Patented Nov. 9, 1886.

a S S E S S S WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

%.J%4; EJZW BY P ATTORNEYS.

* UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

MosEs s. com, or BIVAS, NICARAGUA.

AERIAL VESSEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 352,298, dated November9. 1886.

Application filed March 1, 1886.

Serial No. 193,573. (No model.)

1'0 all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, MosEs S. GoLE, a citizen of the United States,residing'in the city of Rivas, Republic ofNicaragua, Central America,have invented new and useful Improvements in Aerial Vessels, of whichthe follqwing is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved aerialvessel which can be raised, lowered, steered, and propelled in anydirection at the will of the pilot.

The invention consists of an aerial vessel of novel construction, and ofwheels for raising, lowering, steering, and propelling the same,operated from suitable machinery placed inside of the aerial vessel.

The invention also consists of various parts and details andcombinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter, andthen pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure l is a side elevation of my improved aerial vessel. Fig. 2 is asectional plan view of the same on the line a 00, Fig. 1. i

The aerial vessel A is provided with a central compartment, B, formed ofa floor, O, a ceiling, D, and an inclosing-wall, E, provided withsuitable doors and windows. The compartment B is provided with suitablerooms and compartments for the accommodation of passengers and the crew.To the floor O is attached a hollow shaft, F, which extends downward,and in whichis placed the motive power for operating the drivingwheels,and which forms at its lower end the pilot-house G. On

the top of the ceiling D is secured the inflated balloon H,ofsemi-spheroidal form, and on the under side of the floor O and aroundthe shaft Fis attached an inflated balloon, H, of semispheroidal form.

The main driving-shaft I is placed transversely across the floor O ofthe'compartment B, and is provided at its middle with a crankarm, I, towhich the motor placed in the shaft F is coupled, and which imparts arotary mo tion to the said main shaft I. On each end of the shaft I, andoutside of the wall E of the compartment B, is secured a wheel, J,having several wings ,which open and close automat- These V provided onits inner end with a device for swinging the frame L from its centralposition in line with the axis of the aerial vessel to one side. Thisdevice is represented in the drawings as consisting of a rack, M, formedon the inner end of the frame L, and a pinion, M, meshing into the saidrack M and turned by a handle, M but other devices may be employed toaccomplish the purpose above specified. The wheels K are each mounted ona shaft having crank-arms, which receive a rotary motion from the mainshaft I by suitable connections. The wheels K serve to propel the,aerial vessel in a horizontal plane, and also to steer the aerial vesselin any direction.

' .From the shaft Fa cable, N, extends down- Ward, and is held in acentral position by the ropes O, secured to the aerial vessel A. To thelower end of the cable N is secured an anchor, P, which can be hauledinto the shaft F, or let down toany desired depth, bysuitablemachineryin the pilot-house G, and at the will of the pilot.

The ends of the aerial vessel. are provided with suitable valves,whichpermit of ventilating the compartment B when the aerial vessel is inmotion and all the doors and windows in the wall E are closed.

The operation is as follows: The main shaft I is set in motion by themotor placed in the shaft F, so as to rotate the side wheels, J, whichcause the aerial vessel to ascend, aided by the semi-spheroidal balloonsH and H. A forward or backward motion is given to the aerial vessel bythe rotation of the propelling-wheels K, which, when placed in an axialposition, as shown in the drawings, propel the aerial vessel in thedirection of the long axis of the same; but when either one or bothofthe wheels K are swung sidewise on their respective pivots L theaerial vessel can be forced to exe cute any evolution desired by therelative sidewise position of the wheels K. In descending,

the motion of the side wheels, J, is reversed, so as to cause the aerialvessel to descend, and when in the near neighborhood of the earth theanchor P is dropped, so as to come in contact with the earth and fastenitself to projections, and thereby secure the aerial vessel.

Having thus fully described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters.

Patent" 1. In an aerial vessel, the combination of a central compartmentwith semi-spheroidal balloons attached to the ceilingand floor of thesaid compartment, substantially as shown and described.

2. In an aerial vessel, the combination of a central compartment havinga downwardlyextending hollow shaft, forming a pilot-house at its lowerend and containing the motive having a vertical downwardly-extendingshaft,

forming at its lower end apilot-house and con taining the motive power,and two semi-spheroidal balloons formed on the top and bottom of saidcompartment, in combination with wheels placed on each end of the saidvessel and rotated by suitable devices, substantially as shown anddescribed.

5. In an aerial vessel, a central compartment, a vertical hollow shafthaving a pilothouse on its lower end and containing the motive power,and two semi-spheroidal balloons, in combination with two wheels placedat the sides of the aerial vessel for ascending and descending purposes,and two wheels placed one on each end for the purpose of propelling andsteering, substantially as shown anddescribed.

' MOSES S. COLE.

\Vitnesses:

THEo. G. I'IOSTER, G. SEDGWICK.

